Alex Platton talks about the painting "Bouquet pour le 14 Juillet 1919" by artist Henri Matisse during a preview of the Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art and Contemporary Art Sales of New York. The painting is expected to fetch US$18-25 million at the Sotheby's New York on May 12, 2010. AP Photo/Kin Cheung.

NEW YORK, NY (REUTERS).- Paintings by Mark Rothko and Henri Matisse will be among the top lots at Sotheby's sales in New York next month, the auctioneer said on Friday. Matisse's "Bouquet pour le 14 Juillet 1919" was the artist's celebration of the first Bastille Day after World War One and is expected to fetch $18-25 million when it goes under the hammer as part of the May 5 impressionist and modern art auction.

A week later, at the contemporary art sale, Rothko's 1961 work "Untitled" is estimated at the same price, while a self portrait by Andy Warhol, from the collection of fashion designer Tom Ford, is expected to fetch $10-15 million.

The purple-hued work is from Warhol's final series of self portraits executed in 1986, shortly before his death.

Sotheby's is displaying the works alongside other lots including paintings by Claude Monet, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso, at its London showroom on Friday and from April 18-20.

The auctioneer will be hoping for further signs of the recent strong recovery in art market prices, which in turn have encouraged sellers to offer particularly rare and valuable works across the genres.